IBM FlashSystem 900 arrays are composed of up to 12 IBM MicroLatency modules which are massively parallel, custom-engineered flash arrays that deliver higher performance, better reliability, and superior flash endurance. The IBM-enhanced 3D TLC flash within each MicroLatency module provides three times higher storage density than previous systems, with usable capacity from as low as 14 TB to as much as 180 TB in a single system. The MicroLatency modules also support an off-load AES-256 encryption engine with local and SKLM centralized key management, high-speed internal interfaces, and full hot-swap capabilities that enable organizations to achieve lower cost per capacity with even better data security and flash reliability than before.

Accelerate data access with confidence

IBM FlashSystem 900 uses enterprise-class, two-dimensional flash RAID technology, leveraging both Variable Stripe RAID and system-level RAID 5 to deliver 99.999 percent availability. Variable Stripe RAID maintains system performance and capacity in the event of partial or full flash chip failures, helping reduce downtime and avoid system repairs. System-wide RAID 5 with hot spare also helps prevent data loss and improves availability. These data protection and system reliability features are backed by a seven-year flash endurance guarantee that makes IBM FlashSystem 900 the right choice to deploy in mission-critical environments.

Boost efficiency with better visualization

The systems introduce a new user interface (UI) with the same look and feel as the other IBM FlashSystem solutions for a consistent management experience across all platforms. The UI has an improved overview dashboard that provides all information in a simplified format and enables visualization of effective capacity. Along with the IBM Comprestimator tool which estimates data compression rates for targeted workloads, the UI enables much easier storage planning and management.

IBM FlashSystem 900 is backed by a seven-year flash wear guarantee through the applicable warranty period, plus up to six years of optional post-warranty hardware maintenance. Clients may purchase the post-warranty hardware maintenance either at the time of system purchase or up until IBM announces withdrawal from marketing or withdrawal from service. IBM also may offer warranty service upgrades that provide additional services during the warranty period. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this or any other offerings at any time. Other terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Consult with your advisors about the appropriate financial treatment for this offering. Not available in all countries. Contact your sales representative for more information.

Accessibility by people with disabilities

A US Section 508 Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) containing details on
accessibility compliance can be found on the IBM Accessibility website.

If you are a Direct Reseller - System Reseller acquiring products from IBM, you may link directly
to Business Partner information for this announcement. A PartnerWorld ID and password are required
(use IBMid).

Call the Publications Support Group at 800-879-2755, and select option 1.

Contact your IBM representative.

The IBM Publications Center

Hardcopies of selected IBM FlashSystem 900 publications are available from the IBM Publications Center, as well as free softcopy publications. The Publications Center is a worldwide central repository for IBM product publications and marketing material with a catalog of 70,000 items. Extensive search facilities are provided. A large number of publications are available online in various file formats, and they can all be downloaded.

IBM Systems Lab Services

IBM Systems Lab Services offers a wide array of services available for your enterprise. It brings expertise on the latest technologies from the IBM development community and can help with your most difficult technical challenges.

IBM Systems Lab Services exists to help you successfully implement emerging technologies so as to accelerate your return on investment and improve your satisfaction with your IBM systems and solutions. Services examples include initial implementation, integration, migration, and skills transfer on IBM systems solution capabilities and recommended practices. IBM Systems Lab Services is one of the service organizations of IBM's world-renowned IBM Systems Group development labs.

For details on available services, contact your IBM representative or go to the Lab Services website.

Global Technology Services

IBM services include business consulting, outsourcing, hosting services, applications, and other technology management.

These services help you learn about, plan, install, manage, or optimize your IT infrastructure to be an on-demand business. They can help you integrate your high-speed networks, storage systems, application servers, wireless protocols, and an array of platforms, middleware, and communications software for IBM and many non-IBM offerings. IBM is your one-stop shop for IT support needs.

Hardware requirements

Software requirements

Go to the IBM SSIC website for the latest software requirements and
compatibility information.

Planning information

Cable orders

Fiber optic cables, rack cables, and power cords can be ordered by feature number.

Security, auditability, and control

This product uses a system log to record all changes.

The customer is responsible for evaluation, selection, and implementation of security features,
administrative procedures, and appropriate controls in application systems and communications
facilities.

IBM Systems Lab Services

For details on available services, contact your IBM representative or go to the Lab Services website.

Volume orders

Contact your IBM representative.

IBM Global Financing

Yes

Products - terms and conditions

Warranty period

Technical Advisor support will only be provided during the first year of the warranty period and
only with the three-year warranty products (machine type 9843). This support enhances end-to-end
support for the client's complex IT solutions. The Technical Advisor uses an integrated approach for
proactive, coordinated cross-team support to enable customers to maximize IT availability. Technical
Advisor support for FlashSystem 900 will be delivered remotely and will include a documented support
plan, coordinated problem and crisis management, reporting on the client's hardware inventories and
software levels, and consultation regarding FlashSystem 900 software updates. The Technical Advisor
will conduct a Welcome Call with the client and provide a statement of work for this support.

Machine type 9840: One year.

Machine type 9843: Three years.

To obtain copies of the IBM Statement of Limited Warranty, contact your reseller or IBM. An IBM part or feature installed during the initial installation of an IBM machine is subject to the full warranty period specified by IBM. An IBM part or feature that replaces a previously installed part or feature assumes the remainder of the warranty period for the replaced part or feature. An IBM part or feature added to a machine without replacing a previously installed part or feature is subject to a full warranty. Unless specified otherwise, the warranty period, type of warranty service, and service level of a part or feature are the same as those for the machine in which it is installed.

Extended warranty service: This product is provided with one year of standard warranty
and an optional two additional years of extended warranty services to make these offerings.
Customers should consult with their financial personnel on the appropriate financial treatment for
this offering.

Warranty service

If required, IBM provides repair or exchange service depending on the types of warranty service specified for the machine. IBM will attempt to resolve your problem over the telephone, or electronically through an IBM website. Certain machines contain remote support capabilities for direct problem reporting, remote problem determination, and resolution with IBM. You must follow the problem determination and resolution procedures that IBM specifies. Following problem determination, if IBM determines on-site service is required, scheduling of service will depend upon the time of your call, machine technology and redundancy, and availability of parts. If applicable to your product, parts considered Customer Replaceable Units (CRUs) will be provided as part of the machine's standard warranty service.

Service levels are response-time objectives and are not guaranteed. The specified level of warranty service may not be available in all worldwide locations. Additional charges may apply outside IBM's normal service area. Contact your local IBM representative or your reseller for country-specific and location-specific information.

CRU Service

IBM provides replacement CRUs to you for you to install. CRU information and replacement instructions are shipped with your machine and are available from IBM upon your request. CRUs are designated as being either a Tier 1 (mandatory) or a Tier 2 (optional) CRU.

Tier 1 (mandatory) CRU

Installation of Tier 1 CRUs, as specified in this announcement, is your responsibility. If IBM installs a Tier 1 CRU at your request, you will be charged for the installation.

Tier 2 (optional) CRU

You may install a Tier 2 CRU yourself or request IBM to install it, at no additional charge.

Based upon availability, CRUs will be shipped for next business day (NBD) delivery. IBM specifies, in the materials shipped with a replacement CRU, whether a defective CRU must be returned to IBM. When return is required, return instructions and a container are shipped with the replacement CRU. You may be charged for the replacement CRU if IBM does not receive the defective CRU within 15 days of your receipt of the replacement.

CRU and On-site Service

At IBM's discretion, you will receive specified CRU service, or IBM will repair the failing machine at your location and verify its operation. You must provide a suitable working area to allow disassembly and reassembly of the IBM machine. The area must be clean, well-lit, and suitable for the purpose.

This product is provided with a one year standard warranty. For your convenience, IBM has provided two additional years of extended warranty services. Consult with your advisors about the appropriate financial treatment for this offering. See your sales representative for other available service options.

Service level is:

24 hours per day, 7 days a week, same day response.

Warranty service

IBM is now shipping machines with selected non-IBM parts that contain an IBM field replaceable unit (FRU) part number label. These parts are to be serviced during the IBM machine warranty period. IBM is covering the service on these selected non-IBM parts as an accommodation to their customers, and normal warranty service procedures for the IBM machine apply.

Maintenance service options

IBM FlashSystem 900 is backed by a seven-year flash wear guarantee through the applicable warranty period plus up to six years of optional post-warranty hardware maintenance. Clients may purchase the post-warranty hardware maintenance either at the time of system purchase or up until IBM announces withdrawal from marketing or withdrawal from service. IBM also may offer warranty service upgrades that provide additional services during the warranty period. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this or any other offerings at any time. Other terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Consult with your advisors about the appropriate financial treatment for this offering. Not available in all countries. Contact your sales representative for more information.

If required, IBM provides repair or exchange service depending on the types of maintenance service specified for the machine. IBM will attempt to resolve your problem over the telephone or electronically, via an IBM website. Certain machines contain remote support capabilities for direct problem reporting, remote problem determination, and resolution with IBM. You must follow the problem determination and resolution procedures that IBM specifies. Following problem determination, if IBM determines on-site service is required, scheduling of service will depend upon the time of your call, machine technology and redundancy, and availability of parts. Service levels are response-time objectives and are not guaranteed. The specified level of maintenance service may not be available in all worldwide locations. Additional charges may apply outside IBM's normal service area. Contact your local IBM representative or your reseller for country-specific and location-specific information. The following service selections are available as maintenance options for your machine type. To help improve problem determination efficiency, it is advised that the SMTP and call home service settings be configured on the IBM FlashSystem 900.

On-site Service

IBM will repair the failing machine at your location and verify its operation. You must provide a suitable working area to allow disassembly and reassembly of the IBM machine. The area must be clean, well-lit, and suitable for the purpose.

Service levels are:

9 hours per day, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, next business day response. Calls
must be received by 5:00 pm local time in order to qualify for next business day response

9 hours per day, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, 4 hour average, same business day
response

24 hours per day, 7 days a week, same day response

24 hours per day, 7 days a week, 2 hour average response, same day

Non-IBM parts service

Under certain conditions, IBM provides services for selected non-IBM parts at no additional charge for machines that are covered under warranty service upgrades or maintenance services.

This service includes hardware problem determination (PD) on the non-IBM parts (for example, adapter cards, PCMCIA cards, disk drives, memory) installed within IBM machines and provides the labor to replace the failing parts at no additional charge.

If IBM has a Technical Service Agreement with the manufacturer of the failing part, or if the failing part is an accommodations part (a part with an IBM FRU label), IBM may also source and replace the failing part at no additional charge. For all other non-IBM parts, customers are responsible for sourcing the parts. Installation labor is provided at no additional charge, if the machine is covered under a warranty service upgrade or a maintenance service.

Usage plan machine

No

IBM hourly service rate classification

Two

When a type of service involves the exchange of a machine part, the replacement may not be new,
but will be in good working order.

General terms and conditions

Field-installable features

Yes

Model conversions

No

Machine installation

Customer setup. Customers are responsible for installation according to the instructions IBM provides with the machine.

Graduated program license charges apply

No

Licensed Internal Code and Licensed Machine Code

This product does not contain Licensed Internal Code or Licensed Machine Code.

Educational allowance

A reduced charge is available to qualified education customers. The educational allowance may
not be added to any other discount or allowance.

The educational allowance is 15% for the products in this announcement.

ServiceElect (ESA) charges

IBM Global Financing

IBM Global Financing offers competitive financing to credit-qualified customers to assist them in acquiring IT solutions. Offerings include financing for IT acquisition, including hardware, software, and services, from both IBM and other manufacturers or vendors. Offerings (for all customer segments: small, medium, and large enterprise), rates, terms, and availability can vary by country. Contact your local IBM Global Financing organization or go to the IBM Global Financing
website for more information.

IBM Global Financing offerings are provided through IBM Credit LLC in the United States and other IBM subsidiaries and divisions worldwide to qualified commercial and government customers. Rates are based on a customer's credit rating, financing terms, offering type, equipment type and options, and may vary by country. Other restrictions may apply. Rates and offerings are subject to change, extension, or withdrawal without notice.

Financing solutions from IBM Global Financing can help you stretch your budget and affordably acquire the new product. But beyond the initial acquisition, our end-to-end approach to IT management can also help keep your technologies current, reduce costs, minimize risk, and preserve your ability to make flexible equipment decisions throughout the entire technology lifecycle.

The IBM Digital Sales Center, our national direct marketing organization, can add your name to the mailing list for catalogs of IBM products.

Note: Shipments will begin after the planned availability date.

Trademarks

Variable Stripe RAID, Power Systems and IBM Spectrum Control are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

IBM FlashSystem, IBM, IBM FlashCore, MicroLatency, System Storage and Global Technology Services are registered trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

VMware vSphere is a trademark of VMware, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Terms of use

IBM products and services which are announced and available in your country can be ordered under the applicable standard agreements, terms, conditions, and prices in effect at the time. IBM reserves the right to modify or withdraw this announcement at any time without notice. This announcement is provided for your information only. Additional terms of use are located at: